January 15, 2026
15 minutes read
What you'll learn
Shift work vs. standard hours vs. open-ended workday: A Quick Comparison
Shift Work with Summarized Working Time: The Flexible Solution for 24/7 Operations
Standard Working Hours: The Stable Choice for Predictable Operations
Open-ended Workday: The Ultimate Flexibility for Senior Roles
The Hidden Impact of Working Time Models on Your Business
For CEOs and business owners in Bulgaria, choosing the right working time model is not just a legal requirement, it’s a strategic move that directly impacts productivity, employee satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
With three primary options (Shift Work with Summarized Working Time, Standard Working Hours, and Open-ended Workday), understanding their differences is key to making the best decision for your company.
Shift work vs. standard hours vs. open-ended workday: A Quick Comparison
📚 Definition
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
Employees work in shifts, and their hours are balanced over a longer reference period (week, month, or up to 4 months).
Non-working days are based on the shift schedule rather than fixed weekends (Saturday-Sunday).
Standard Working Hours
Employees work a fixed schedule of 8 hours per day, Monday to Friday, totaling 40 hours per week.
Open-ended Workday
Employees work beyond normal hours when necessary during the workweek but cannot exceed 12 hours per day (including extra hours). Work during rest periods or bank holidays must be compensated additionally.
⏱️ Maximum Hours per Day
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
Daily hours may exceed 8 hours up to 12, but excess hours must be balanced within the reference period
Standard Working Hours
Fixed 8-hour workdays
Open-ended Workday
No fixed end time but cannot exceed 12 hours.
⏱️ Maximum Weekly Hours
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
56 hours
Standard Working Hours
40 hours
Open-ended Workday
60 hours
🍽️ Breaks
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
Lunch break: Minimum of 30 minutes, but typically 1 hour. It is not included in working hours.
Recovery breaks: Two 15-minute paid breaks:
– before lunch: 2-2.5 hours after the start
– after lunch: 2-2.5 hours.
Recovery breaks are included in the working time.
Standard Working Hours
Lunch break: Minimum of 30 minutes, but typically 1 hour. It is not included in working hours.
Recovery breaks: Two 15-minute paid breaks:
– before lunch: 2-2.5 hours after the start
– after lunch: 2-2.5 hours.
Recovery breaks are included in the working time.
Open-ended Workday
Same as the others, plus a mandatory 15-minute break after standard hours.
🥱 Rest
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
Daily rest: Min. 12 hours between shifts.
Weekly rest: Min. 48 consecutive hours.
Standard Working Hours
Daily rest: 12 hours.
Weekly rest: 2 consecutive days.
Open-ended Workday
Daily rest: 12 hours.
Weekly rest: 2 consecutive days.
✈️ Weekend Work
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
Paid extra if outside the planned shift schedule.
Standard Working Hours
Open-ended Workday
Always considered overtime and paid extra.
🔁 Shifts
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
Day: 06:00 – 22:00
Night: 22:00 – 06:00
Mixed: Includes both day and night work (if 4+ hours are night work, it counts as a night shift).
Standard Working Hours
Fixed 8-hour day workdays (Mon-Fri)
Open-ended Workday
No fixed end time during workweek, flexible hours.
🗓️ Tracking & Compliance
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
A legally required work schedule (Form 76) must be maintained.
Standard Working Hours
No legal requirement for an official schedule, but tracking overtime is necessary.
Open-ended Workday
No formal tracking of extra hours on weekdays.
⚖️ Working Hours Balancing
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
Hours are calculated over a reference period, typically three months. Employees must work a total number of hours equal to the Norm Hours for that period.
Example:
Norm Hours for Q1 2025:
January: 22 d × 8 h = 176 h
February: 20 d × 8 h = 160 h
March: 20 d × 8 h = 160 h
Total for Q1 2025: 496 h
Standard Working Hours
Working hours are calculated and balanced monthly.
Example:
Norm Hours for March:
20 days × 8h = 160h.
Open-ended Workday
Working hours during the workweek are not balanced.
📈 Overtime
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
Overtime is calculated at the end of the reference period. Any hours above the Norm Hours (e.g., 496h in Q1 2025) are paid with an extra.
Pay: 50% increase
Standard Working Hours
Any minute beyond 8 hours/day is overtime and must be paid with an extra.
Pay:
- Workweek: 50% increase
- Weekend work: 75% increase
- Overtime on Bank holidays: 100% increase
Open-ended Workday
Weekday extra hours are not considered overtime. Weekend work and Bank holidays are always overtime and must be paid with an extra.
Pay:
- Weekend work: 75% increase
- Overtime on Bank holidays: 100% increase
Overtime is generally prohibited. If necessary, it must be justified and pre-approved by the employer.
Legal Limits:
- Annual limit: Maximum 150 hours per year
- Monthly limit: Maximum 30 hours (daytime) or 20 hours (nighttime) per month
- Weekly limit: Maximum 6 hours (daytime) or 4 hours (nighttime) per week
🏦 Bank (Public) Holidays
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
If part of the work schedule: No overtime payment, only the 100% increase mentioned above.
If outside the schedule: Paid as overtime + the 100% increase mentioned above.
Standard Working Hours
Work on bank holidays is always overtime, so it is paid as overtime + the 100% increase mentioned above.
Open-ended Workday
Work on bank holidays is always overtime, so it is paid as overtime + the 100% increase mentioned above.
Always paid with a minimum 100% increase.
📉 Working Less Hours
If, at the end of the period, the employee has worked fewer hours than required, it is the employer’s responsibility, and no salary deductions are allowed.
😴 Night Hours
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
Defined as work performed between 22:00 – 06:00.
Max 35 hours/week for night work.
Employees receive additional night pay.
Night hours are converted into day hours using a 1.143 coefficient (8:7 ratio).
Standard Working Hours
Not applicable.
Open-ended Workday
Not applicable.
🌴 Min Paid Time Off (PTO)
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
20 days/year
Standard Working Hours
20 days/year
Open-ended Workday
Shift work vs. standard hours vs. open-ended workday: A Quick Comparison
Summarized Working Time/Shifts
📚 Definition: Employees work in shifts, and their hours are balanced over a longer reference period (week, month, or up to 4 months). Non-working days are based on the shift schedule rather than fixed weekends (Saturday-Sunday).
⏱️ Maximum Hours per Day: Daily hours may exceed 8 hours up to 12, but excess hours must be balanced within the reference period
⏱️ Maximum Weekly Hours: 56 hours
🍽️ Breaks:
Lunch break: Minimum of 30 minutes, but typically 1 hour. It is not included in working hours.
Recovery breaks: Two 15-minute paid breaks:
- before lunch: 2-2.5 hours after the start
- after lunch: 2-2.5 hours.
Recovery breaks are included in the working time.
🥱 Rest:
- Daily rest: Min. 12 hours between shifts.
- Weekly rest: Min. 48 consecutive hours.
✈️ Weekend Work: Paid extra if outside the planned shift schedule.
🔁 Shifts
- Day: 06:00 – 22:00
- Night: 22:00 – 06:00
- Mixed: Includes both day and night work (if 4+ hours are night work, it counts as a night shift)
🗓️ Tracking & Compliance: A legally required work schedule (Form 76) must be maintained.
⚖️ Working Hours Balancing:
Hours are calculated over a reference period, typically three months. Employees must work a total number of hours equal to the Norm Hours for that period.
Example:
Norm Hours for Q1 2025:
January: 22 d × 8 h = 176 h
February: 20 d × 8 h = 160 h
March: 20 d × 8 h = 160 h
Total for Q1 2025: 496 h
📈 Overtime
Overtime is calculated at the end of the reference period. Any hours above the Norm Hours (e.g., 496h in Q1 2025) are paid with an extra.
Pay: 50% increase
Overtime is generally prohibited. If necessary, it must be justified and pre-approved by the employer.
Legal Limits:
- Annual limit: Maximum 150 hours per year
- Monthly limit: Maximum 30 hours (daytime) or 20 hours (nighttime) per month
- Weekly limit: Maximum 6 hours (daytime) or 4 hours (nighttime) per week
🏦 Bank (Public) Holidays
Always paid with a minimum 100% increase.
If part of the work schedule: No overtime payment, only the 100% increase mentioned above.
If outside the schedule: Paid as overtime + the 100% increase mentioned above.
📉 Working Less Hours
If, at the end of the period, the employee has worked fewer hours than required, it is the employer’s responsibility, and no salary deductions are allowed.
😴 Night Hours
- Defined as work performed between 22:00 – 06:00.
- Max 35 hours/week for night work.
- Employees receive additional night pay.
- Night hours are converted into day hours using a 1.143 coefficient (8:7 ratio).
🌴 Min Paid Time Off (PTO): 20 days/year
standard hours
📚 Definition: Employees work a fixed schedule of 8 hours per day, Monday to Friday, totaling 40 hours per week
⏱️ Maximum Hours per Day: Fixed 8-hour workdays
⏱️ Maximum Weekly Hours: 56 hours
🍽️ Breaks:
Lunch break: Minimum of 30 minutes, but typically 1 hour. It is not included in working hours.
Recovery breaks: Two 15-minute paid breaks:
- before lunch: 2-2.5 hours after the start
- after lunch: 2-2.5 hours.
Recovery breaks are included in the working time.
🥱 Rest:
-
Daily rest: 12 hours.
-
Weekly rest: 2 consecutive days.
✈️ Weekend Work: Always considered overtime and paid extra
🔁 Shifts: Fixed 8-hour day workdays (Mon-Fri)
🗓️ Tracking & Compliance: No legal requirement for an official schedule, but tracking overtime is necessary.
⚖️ Working Hours Balancing: Working hours are calculated and balanced monthly.
Example:
Norm Hours for March: 20 days × 8h = 160h.
📈 Overtime
Any minute beyond 8 hours/day is overtime and must be paid with an extra.
Pay:
- Workweek: 50% increase
- Weekend work: 75% increase
- Overtime on Bank holidays: 100% increase
Overtime is generally prohibited. If necessary, it must be justified and pre-approved by the employer.
Legal Limits:
- Annual limit: Maximum 150 hours per year
- Monthly limit: Maximum 30 hours (daytime) or 20 hours (nighttime) per month
- Weekly limit: Maximum 6 hours (daytime) or 4 hours (nighttime) per week
🏦 Bank (Public) Holidays
Always paid with a minimum 100% increase.
Work on bank holidays is always overtime, so it is paid as overtime + the 100% increase mentioned above.
📉 Working Less Hours
If, at the end of the period, the employee has worked fewer hours than required, it is the employer’s responsibility, and no salary deductions are allowed.
😴 Night Hours: Not applicable
🌴 Min Paid Time Off (PTO): 20 days/year
open-ended workday
📚 Definition:Employees work beyond normal hours when necessary during the workweek but cannot exceed 12 hours per day (including extra hours). Work during rest periods or bank holidays must be compensated additionally.
⏱️ Maximum Hours per Day: No fixed end time but cannot exceed 12 hours
⏱️ Maximum Weekly Hours: 60 hours
🍽️ Breaks:
Lunch break: Minimum of 30 minutes, but typically 1 hour. It is not included in working hours.
Recovery breaks: Two 15-minute paid breaks:
- before lunch: 2-2.5 hours after the start
- after lunch: 2-2.5 hours.
Recovery breaks are included in the working time.
An additional mandatory 15-minute break after standard hours.
🥱 Rest:
-
Daily rest: 12 hours.
-
Weekly rest: 2 consecutive days.
✈️ Weekend Work: Always considered overtime and paid extra
🔁 Shifts: No fixed end time during workweek, flexible hours.
🗓️ Tracking & Compliance: No formal tracking of extra hours on weekdays.
⚖️ Working Hours Balancing: Working hours during the workweek are not balanced.
📈 Overtime
Weekday extra hours are not considered overtime. Weekend work and Bank holidays are always overtime and must be paid with an extra.
Pay:
- Weekend work: 75% increase
- Overtime on Bank holidays: 100% increase
Overtime is generally prohibited. If necessary, it must be justified and pre-approved by the employer.
Legal Limits:
- Annual limit: Maximum 150 hours per year
- Monthly limit: Maximum 30 hours (daytime) or 20 hours (nighttime) per month
- Weekly limit: Maximum 6 hours (daytime) or 4 hours (nighttime) per week
🏦 Bank (Public) Holidays
Always paid with a minimum 100% increase.
Work on bank holidays is always overtime, so it is paid as overtime + the 100% increase mentioned above.
📉 Working Less Hours
If, at the end of the period, the employee has worked fewer hours than required, it is the employer’s responsibility, and no salary deductions are allowed.
😴 Night Hours: Not applicable
🌴 Min Paid Time Off (PTO): 25 days/year
Shift Work with Summarized Working Time: The Flexible Solution for 24/7 Operations
Best for:
✅ Manufacturing, healthcare, customer service, and industries requiring continuous coverage.
Key Benefits:
Keeps operations running without excessive overtime costs.
Provides flexibility to match peak and off-peak demand.
Ensures compliance with labor laws while managing weekend and night shifts.
How It Works:
Employees work in shifts, with working time balanced over a reference period (month/quarter).
Daily hours may exceed 8 but must be compensated within the period.
Outcome:
Businesses that require round-the-clock operations gain workforce flexibility, cost control, and compliance while maintaining employee engagement.
Standard Working Hours: The Stable Choice for Predictable Operations
Best for:
✅ Administrative roles, mid-management, and businesses with structured office schedules.
Key Benefits:
Ensures a predictable schedule, reducing employee burnout and turnover.
Clearly separates work and personal time, enhancing productivity.
Simplifies payroll and compliance tracking.
How It Works:
Outcome:
Businesses benefit from stability, improved employee retention, and streamlined payroll processes, driving efficiency and profitability.
Open-ended Workday: The Ultimate Flexibility for Senior Roles
Best for:
✅ Senior executives, consultants, and professionals in autonomous roles.
Key Benefits:
Offers flexibility for high-level employees to manage their time.
Encourages productivity-driven performance over rigid schedules.
Reduces administrative overhead for time tracking.
How It Works:
Outcome:
Businesses gain agility to meet high-level strategic needs while controlling overtime costs and fostering a results-driven work culture.
Which Working Time Model is Right for Your Business?
Choosing the right working time model is a game-changer for small and medium-sized businesses in Bulgaria. Whether you need round-the-clock coverage, structured office hours, or ultimate flexibility, aligning your work schedule with your business goals will drive efficiency and employee satisfaction.
🚀 Need expert guidance to implement the right model?
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